FMA : The Road to Nowhere
by DeadRedTank
Summary: White lights. Lost memories. The wish to protect all those that you love. The logic and science of alchemy and the world of homunculi is met with the power of gods and demons, beyond anyone's imagination. Itachi Uchiha X OC - FMA Manga/'03 Anime R&R
1. Prolouge : The Truth

**Full Metal Alchemist: The Road to Nowhere** (A Crossover/AU Fan-Fiction)

Full Metal Alchemist Franchise _Hiromu Arakawa_

Roraku Kuronawa & Fan-Fiction _.com_

_Prologue : The Portal _–_ The Door _–_ The Truth_

_Roraku's POV_

Light.

That's all there was to be seen. Light. There was absolutely nothing, but that one, great light that enveloped everything.

That is, if there truly was anything else there at all.

It was brilliant, white and encompassed all that was around me. As to what that light truly was – For the life of me, I still can't say.

I didn't know where I was in that particular place. And I didn't know how I got there.

I couldn't see anything; I had been blinded by the light pouring into my eyes.

I couldn't hear anything; there was no noise, except for what faintly sounded like the whistling of the wind. But, I had no way of knowing that for sure.

Despite being blinded or fooled of my own hearing, I could still feel something. That I can remember as clear as day. It was like I was being pulled towards an open door against my will. Like my body was breaking down into thousands of fragments and blending into the light itself. And yet, there was no physical pain, but my mind was shattering into shambles. It was far out of my control. I thought that I was slowly going insane.

It was as if my body was being wrought out of my world and my reality. I wanted to cry out, but my voice wouldn't let out even the littlest whisper. Somehow, I had been silenced.

I still don't entirely believe myself, even as I tell this to whoever sees fit as to listen to me. But, no matter how hard I try to think of it differently, I can't describe what happened in any other way. It was a heavenly power that I had never come across in all my encounters with gods and demons. And it was a power that I never wish to experience again.

But I knew that I wasn't alone. Even though my vision had still been sullied by the light, I could tell there was a man clad in black beside me in the void. It was a man that I knew very well and who had been with me through all my endeavors. It was a man that would give anything for the sake of others and a man I had known to love.

I tried to reach out to him or even call out his name, but to no avail. My voice had still vanished from within me and my body refused to move freely. The light continued to constrict itself around me and I felt as if I could barely breathe. I felt the hot sting of tears flowing down my face. Never before had I been so afraid of my fate. I didn't know what or why this was about to happen to me. I thought that I was somehow dying.

Then when it seemed that the light couldn't become any brighter, the whiteness began to recede as quickly as it came, suddenly fading away and freeing me from its deadly grasp. I could feel myself crash onto a cold, unfamiliar surface. Slowly, I started to breathe again. I allowed the fresh air to flow through my lungs. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of me. I was relieved; believing the worse of it was finally over. And since the light had disappeared, my senses that had recently been clouded suddenly returned to me.

I could see something; there was the figure of a man strewn out next to me. It was the same man in black who was beside me while I was in the light. Barely conscious, he was face-down on the frost-bitten ground. His eyes were shut.

I could hear something; there were trees rustling in the howling wind. It was the sound of the forest braving through a heavy storm. It was unmistakable.

But more than anything else, I could smell something; I knew what it was all too well. It was certainly a familiar scent with the coming of a storm.

It smelled like rain.


	2. Chapter 1 : Light in the Night Storm

**Full Metal Alchemist: The Road to Nowhere** (A Crossover/AU Fan-Fiction)

Full Metal Alchemist Franchise _Hiromu Arakawa_

Roraku Kuronawa & Fan-Fiction _/~deadredtank_ & _.com_

_Chapter 1 : Light in the Night Storm_

_Narration_

_It smelled like rain._

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Before she could clearly see, the first drops of rain fell down onto the girl's forehead, causing her eyelids to flutter slightly. She was lying on her back, looking up towards a stormy, gray sky. As her eyes adjusted to the difference of light, she started to hear thunder far off in the distance. It struck once again within the span of a few seconds, indicating that it was coming closer and closer.

Weather like this always seemed to call and cry out to her. It reminded her of her original home life in the mountains, where storms came on almost a daily occurrence. More often than not, storms were a force of nature that corrected and created balance within the world. By that alone, she could easily tell that this particular storm was here to right a great imbalance and what had initially caused it. But what was it? What had made the storm so angry? Was it her sudden appearance in this place?

_No, that can't be it. It's only a coincidence. Isn't it?_

Setting her other thoughts aside, she tilted her head to see another body beside her. It was a man. He was flat, face-down against the ground. His thick, raven-black hair covered his eyes - which were closed - and he had two peculiar lines running diagonally down his cheeks. Had his eyes been open, she could have seen those black coal-like irises that she so loved to have looking back at her.

_Itachi-kun._

Unfortunately for her, he was unconscious.

The thunder cracked and continued roaring violently overhead, shaking the very ground beneath her. Peering up through her matted-golden hair, she knew that it would be bad to be out in the elements with such a heavy storm system overhead. She needed to find a safe place for them to wait it out, especially before the rest of the rain came pouring in.

_I can't stay here. I can't get caught out in this storm. _

As she tried to force herself upright, the girl found that her limbs were still somewhat stiff from the tunnel of white light. Her head felt fuzzy, as if she were in a daze. She attempted to stand up straight, but her legs quickly buckled underneath her. Slipping, she fell flat onto her forearms, hitting her head and skidding across a cold, rough surface. Trying to get back up again, she was met with the exact same response.

_Damn it! Damn it!_

With her head bent down, she stayed there silently, not wanting to have to move any more than she absolutely had to. Her whole body felt as if it had been drained to the point of exhaustion. Her breathing began to grow very heavy and she could see the cold condensing in the air. On top of all that, the rain started to fall down in torrents as the thunder drummed loudly. The girl didn't seem to regard the drastic change in the storm. She only sat there with her hands clenched against the ground as the rain soaked through her clothes and chilled her skin.

_Why is my body so weak? Why now?_

Gritting her teeth, the lightning continued to crack as she tilted her head toward the sky. Trickles of cold water flowed off of her face. Her light-colored hair was now completely wet, slicking against her coat and her shoulders.

_This can't be happening. I don't even have a clue as to where we are. There's nothing here! Nothing! N-_

She stopped. Slowly looking down, her eyes snapped open wide and she was wrought with horror.

_What? What the hell is this?_

There was something strange on the ground below her arms. Moving her hand, she saw that it was some sort of faded symbol that was in the very least unfamiliar to her. It looked like hexagon inlaid in a larger circle. There were also lines tracing along it that stretched outward, revealing that that one symbol was only part of a far greater design. It spanned all along what was left of the stone fault. Incorporated within the circle were other archaic symbols and words in a language that she couldn't possibly understand. Shuddering, she didn't know what to think.

… _Itachi-kun._

Afraid and confused, the young woman allowed her eyes again wander over to the raven-haired man lying before her. She outstretched her hand and carefully caressed his face, hoping that she could stir him awake with a gentle touch. But as the storm raged on, he still laid there without making so much as a single sound. Her green eyes flickered like candlelight. What was wrong with him? Couldn't he feel the warmth of her hand?

_Please. Please, wake up. Show me your eyes…_

Moments passed. Nothing happened.

Her whole body began to tremble. She started to lose herself to the feeling of despair, stranded in the middle of a storm and a foreign land, with no way to help the one person that she ever loved. To her own surprise, she suddenly felt the hot sting of tears on her face, skiing down her cheeks. What was she to do?

As she lowered her head to look down towards him, she spotted something on the very edge of her field of vision. When she saw it, she first thought that she was in some sort of a waking dream. It was a light - a naked, white light - that grew brighter and brighter and broke out from the center of the circle.

_Wh-what? More light?_

When her attention was drawn solely to what was in front of her, the light instantly grew with a great intensity. The young woman instinctively threw her arms up to shield her eyes as it continued to shine out the clearing, washing everything in a white hue. Then as soon as it had appeared, the light suddenly stopped shining and faded away into itself.

After the light had fleeted away, the frightened girl warily lowered her arms and peered out into the pouring rain, seeing that there something new sprawled out on the stone. Looking at what it was more closely, she could hardly believe what she was seeing.

It was a boy. Judging from his poor physique, he couldn't have been any more than the age of ten – only a tad younger than when her own little brother had passed away all those years ago. He had pale skin, long, dark hair that turned sleek in the oncoming rain, and he was completely naked.

At the sight of the young boy before her, her heart immediately went out to him. Her first thought was that he was dead, but then saw his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. He was breathing. At the very least, he was still alive.

Casting her other concerns aside, she crawled on her arms and legs, edging closer and closer to the boy. She then knelt down next to him, took off her cloak and clothed him with it. Wrapping her red coat around his shoulders, the girl gently picked him up and placed him in her lap. The boy's eyes were still shut, but he seemed to be breathing easily.

_Who is he? Where did he come from?_

Curiosity overcame her, leaving her with more questions than there were answers. She still didn't know where she was, what was wrong with Itachi and why there was a circle beneath her feet that seemed to come straight out of the occult. And now, there was a frail, little boy in her arms that literally fell in out of nowhere. What was going on? What was happening to them?

"Who goes there?"

The girl gasped.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard another voice above the roaring thunder. Someone else was in this desolate place – but, she didn't know whether to take it as a miracle or a curse. Turning her head to the left, she glanced over to where the voice came from.

Through the wind and the bearing storm, there was a man and woman standing side-by-side. The man stood roughly seven feet tall, wore a scowl across his face and was all muscle from head-to-toe. Next to him, the woman stood only about five and a half feet tall. Even though the woman was obviously outmatched compared to the man in size, she still had an ice cold stare that seemed to cut right through the rain. Her dark hair looked like it had been fashioned into dreadlocks, which she had pulled back behind her head into a fairly loose ponytail. Both stood there in black rain slickers, staring down the three trespassers on their property.

"Who are you? What the hell are you doing on my island?" The woman asked angrily, crossing her arms.

_Wh-what? An island?_

As she sat there frightened, the girl was unable to find the words to answer her. She didn't know whether to see this woman as a friend or a foe. And her demanding tone didn't make the fact of the matter any easier to distinguish.

"I'll ask you one last time…" The woman hissed as she stepped forward from the man's side. She was quickly losing her patience and wanted nothing more than a simple, straight answer. "Who are you? And what are you—"

"Please! Please don't hurt us!" The golden-haired girl abruptly cried out, holding the boy closer to her. Slowly looking up towards the woman, the girl met her gaze. There was desperation written within her deep, green eyes, which the woman could clearly see. But, the woman wouldn't fall for it; she knew well enough that it could all be an act, as she was never one to trust a stranger so easily.

"Answer me. What's your name?"

"I-I…" The girl stuttered, still afraid of what the woman might do to her. "… M-my name is Roraku." She then averted her eyes, turning her head over to the raven-haired man laid out next to her. "And this… Th-this is Itachi."

"What about the boy?"

"I… I don't know. I don't know his name. I don't know where we are or what's going on! I don't know, I swear!"

"Hmph. You expect me to believe that? Don't take me for a fool. Tell me why you're really here."

"I don't know… I don't know…"

From the way she shook her head in dismay and the frantic tone of her voice, the girl seemed genuine enough. Still, the woman was somewhat skeptical about these newcomers. She needed one final answer from the girl to see if what she was telling them was at all true.

"How did you get here?"

"Wh-what?"

"There aren't any other boats tacked on the coastline. And I highly doubt that all three of you swam out here when the water is near freezing at night. So, how did you get here on this island?"

"How did I…" The girl cut herself off at midsentence, unsure of what to tell them. Even to her, the truth barely made any sense and seemed unbelievably insane. But, there wasn't any time for her to think of something more to say. The storm kept raining down on her head, drenching her hair and her thin clothes. She had find shelter for herself and the others before it was too late. Seeing Itachi unconscious beside her, she knew that there was no choice. It was a risk she had to take.

"… I can remember light – so much light. It was white and blinding a-and… It was as if the light itself was taking me apart and putting me together again. I thought I was going to die. Then all of a sudden, the light went away and I fell down to the ground. I don't know what it was or why it happened. But, I'm not lying; everything I've said to you is true. Not that I expect that you could even believe me…"

After she finished telling them what had happened, the dark-haired woman knew all too well that what she was saying was true, though she didn't immediately share it. What the young girl had unwittingly described was deconstruction and reconstruction, the fundamental laws of alchemy, which she seemed to know little to nothing about. That and the light – the same light that had first alerted her to the island in the middle of this storm – there was no mistaking it. They had been taken through the Truth, body and soul. Not everyone was prone to know such secrets. She only knew about such a thing because she had once experienced it herself, vowing never to forget her past mistakes. And the transmutation circle that she had drawn out almost a decade ago must have somehow acted as a channel to land them here on the island. But, these strangers certainly didn't look like alchemists or seem to know anything about alchemy in general. And judging by their equally strange clothes, the woman guessed that they were foreigners from another country. There were many more questions she wanted answered and as the storm continued to swell in the sky, she saw that this clearly wasn't the time or place to thoroughly interrogate them.

"Get up."

"H-huh?" Startled, the girl blinked blankly at the woman. The wind suddenly picked up speed, pleating down the rain and whipping through her wet, golden-hair.

"I said get up. You're coming with us. So get up and get moving!"

"But-"

"Don't make me repeat myself. You won't like what happens if do." The woman ordered, glaring at the girl with a dark, cruel stare.

"Izumi, do you honestly think that's a good idea?" The man who was behind the woman walked to her side, lightly laying a hand on her shoulder. Those were the first words he had said for the whole time that they had been standing there in the rain. Craning her head, she calmly smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it. I still have plenty of questions for them, so it'll just be tonight. Besides, if they really turn out to be trespassers, we'll send them to the proper authorities in the morning - of course, all that depends on whether their story holds true…"

Then, the woman broke away from the man's firm grip on her shoulder and strolled towards the girl on the ground. She knelt down slowly, so as not to startle her. Staring directly back at her, the woman could clearly see the sincerity in her eyes and how scared she truly was.

_This still all could be an act_, she thought. _But what she said – no commoner should know that… She couldn't actually be telling the truth, could she?_

Though, she wouldn't know if it was for sure until she further questioned them. Setting her thoughts and bias aside, she gently set her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You said your name was Roraku, right?"

"Y-yes." The girl nodded slightly.

"Good. Now, unless you really want stay out here and catch a cold, you're coming with us."

_Chapter 1 : The Light in the Night Storm – End_

_Written for the love of the world of Full Metal Alchemist_


	3. Chapter 2 : A Foundation of Trust

**Full Metal Alchemist: The Road to Nowhere **(A Crossover/AU Fan-Fiction)

Full Metal Alchemist Franchise _Hiromu Arakawa_

Roraku Kuronawa & Fan-Fiction _.com & /~deadredtank_

_Chapter 2 : A Foundation of Trust_

_Narration_

_"You said your name was Roraku, right?"_

_"Y-yes." The girl nodded slightly._

_"Good. Now, unless you really want to stay out here and catch a cold, you're coming with us."_

About an hour later, Roraku was reluctantly sitting on the opposite side of a table from the dark-haired woman, whom had earlier introduced herself as Izumi Curtis, claiming that she was nothing more than a common housewife. Although, there was the way in which she could execute such a cold stare that clearly said otherwise.

Roraku knew well enough not to delve deeper into her suspicions, especially since she was now in this woman's care. She was certainly grateful for her help and her gracious hospitality – there wasn't any doubt about that. But now, as she bitterly looked around and took in her surroundings, it felt as if she was about to interrogated for a crime that she didn't commit. Even after having donned a dry change of clothes and somewhat recollecting her composure, Izumi's infamous glare from across the room was enough to unsettle her. Fidgeting in her chair, Roraku tugged at the sleeves of a blue flannel shirt she had been given to wear, growing more and more nervous as the moments aimlessly went by.

_'Great. Out of one mess and I fall right into another!'_

Heaving a heavy sigh, she slowly let her eyes wander off of the table, titling her head to the side. To her right, there was white marble-laid countertop with a sink in the middle, where there were some unwashed dishes stacked to the side. Above the sink, there was also a small window that showed the storm as it continued to swell outside, though there was nothing else she could see beyond the rain. Water pelted down in rivulets on the window pane and the howling of the wind faintly reverberated through the glass. This storm didn't look like it was going away anytime soon. With that in mind, Roraku counted her blessings, thankful she and Itachi were now safe inside the walls.

"Hey! This isn't the time to be daydreaming! Pay attention!"

Well, at least at the time being.

At the sound of her stern tone, Roraku immediately spun around and turned towards Izumi, who appeared annoyed with the girl's fleetingly short attention span.

"Snap out of it. I have questions that need answering and I want straight answers. Admittedly, I'm not a patient woman and I – by any means – **do not tolerate bullshit**. If you try anything funny, you and your friends are out the door. Understand?"

The girl nodded her head in understanding, but was set aside by the intimidation in her words. Shifting in her seat, Roraku sensed that the tension between them was rising fast. She tried to feign a smile, but her stomach felt like it was being tied tighter and tighter into a knot. Suffice to say, it definitely wasn't a good start.

_'Don't be frightened – focus! Answer whatever she asks, short and sweet, and soon it'll all be over!'_

"Alright, then let's start with something simple." Leaning forward in her chair, Izumi set her elbow on the table, resting her chin comfortably on top of her hand. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"Do you know where you are? Are you familiar with the name of this town?"

"No… No, I'm not."

"Do you know anything about alchemy?"

"No. I'm not even sure what that is…"

"Then I'm guessing you don't really know how you got onto the island?"

"Only what I've already told you. There was a white light and a tunnel. Then, Itachi and I crashed onto the ground as it dissipated in front of our eyes. I still don't know what it was…" Roraku solemnly replied, looking away to her right. Lifting up her one of her fingers, she started gingerly twirling it through the locks in her hair, trying to calm down.

Cocking her head to side, Izumi noticed the girl's nervous tack after she had finished speaking. She noted it, but wasn't entirely surprised by it. Seeing the Truth for the first time can be both mysterious and terrifying – especially if someone is forcibly thrown into it against their will. Honestly, she wouldn't be all that shocked to find out if someone concocted a way to do so. Alchemy was an art and a science with certain borders that were not meant to be crossed, but nonetheless, there are some people who openly choose to cross it. And those who do completely disregard such laws aptly pay the price. Izumi knew that all too well. After all, she had once been one of those fools, thinking that she could accomplish the impossible and bring back the dead.

But what price had these children paid? Nothing was physically wrong with them, at least not to her knowledge. Then again, there was no way to pass through the portal without having to give something in return, even without them realizing it. There had to be something, but she thought it better to save those thoughts until later, considering that they obviously knew nothing about alchemy. She had other more pertinent questions on her mind.

"That's okay. You don't have to know what that was. Let's move on to something else." Izumi said, gesturing one hand daintily in air. "Do you remember anything before you found yourself in that light? And furthermore, where are you from?"

"A-ah… I'm… I-I…" Choking on her words, it suddenly felt as if she had been forced into corner. Roraku started winding her hair tighter and tighter. Her eyes darted in all directions, afraid of what she should say to Izumi. Would it be better to tell her the whole truth? Should she say that she was from a world filled with gods and demons? Or perhaps warp it to meet her expectations?

In the end, she wound up taking the easiest way out she thought was possible.

She lied.

"… I-I don't know where I'm from." Biting down hardly on her lower lip, Roraku didn't want to lie to Izumi when she had shown such courtesy to her and Itachi. But right now, she knew it was best to keep everything simple as can be, so as to avoid any complications. Telling the truth in this case wouldn't particularly accomplish that. She had to remain seemingly ignorant.

"You don't know or you don't remember?"

"I don't know. I don't know what happened before everything was filled with that light either." Roraku replied, slightly shaking her head side-to-side. "I'm sorry…"

Rubbing her forehead, Izumi wasn't entirely satisfied with her last answer. It was obvious that the girl was on edge, but over what exactly was unclear. From what she had heard so far, Izumi hadn't learned anything of significance about Roraku's background, since she kept on repeating that she couldn't remember it at all. Still, the girl didn't seem to pose a threat, seeing how she childishly twisted her hair and tugged at her sleeves due to some nervous habit. And she definitely didn't fit the description of your common criminal. The girl may have had her fair share of secrets, but more than everything else, she seemed genuinely scared.

As she placed one hand flat on top of the table, Izumi kept her skepticism about her. She did sympathize with Roraku on some level, but then again, she was never known as one to give away her trust so easily. And Izumi wasn't going to start doing so now, at least not until she was done with her interrogation.

"Are you running away from something? Or is there anyone after you?"

"No, there's no one after either of us. I don't know why anyone would be…"

"What about the boy?"

Roraku suddenly turned her head up, startled at the question. "… What about him?"

"I've noticed that you've often been referring to you and your friend, but you have yet to say anything about that child."

"That's because I honestly don't know anything about him. I've never seen him before in my life. He fell out of the light literally moments after we did."

Izumi steadily kept her eyes on the girl. "Is that so?"

"Yes. Yes, he did…" Roraku nodded.

Finally, when she was finished answering, the conversation came to a complete stop and silence once again crept into the air. Izumi had quit asking her questions, quietly leering at the girl with narrowed, dark eyes. Across the table, Roraku sensed Izumi's gaze upon her, which in turn caused her to avert her own gaze in another direction. The woman's unrelenting glare made Roraku grow even more uneasy, since it seemed like those cold eyes could stare right through her very soul.

_'Wh-what's going on? Why did she suddenly stop talking?'_

Then, in a single motion, Izumi abruptly stood up, kicking out her chair beneath her, and slammed her palms down directly onto the surface of the table. Roraku's eyes went wide in astonishment as she irked back in her seat.

"U-uh…" Roraku quivered, her voice full of fear. "Miss Izumi? I—"

"That's it." Izumi interrupted. "We're done here." Without another word, she then silently started walking towards the kitchen door.

Roraku just sat in her chair, slack-jawed in utter surprise, as Izumi brushed past her. At first, she didn't know what to think. But after a few moments, Roraku quickly blinked back into reality and spun around in her chair. "Wait! That's it? There's nothing—"

"No. There's nothing else I need to ask." Izumi contorted. Glancing across her shoulder, she had stopped midstride a few feet in front of the open doorway with her fists tightly clenched at her sides. "Besides, you haven't been very forthcoming with your answers, so I feel like I'd be wasting my breath if I asked you anything more."

"Ah—" Roraku was about to speak, but cut herself off before she could finish. Thinking it over, she knew that Izumi was right and slunk low into her seat.

Izumi registered the girl's immediate reaction, expecting as much. "That's what I thought. Stay silent if you'd really like, but don't you dare take me for a fool. Everyone has their secrets and I can respect that you have yours… Believe me, I do. The main reason I'm not pressuring you about them is because I don't see you or your companion as a threat."

"So… Does that mean Itachi and I can stay here?"

"Yes, you can stay. But let me make this inescapably clear – I still don't completely trust you." Izumi hissed softly, and then released a huff of frustration. "Then again, I won't toss you out on the streets either… Not yet. I'd lose sleep kicking out children like yourselves, considering that you have no other place to go. So you can all stay tonight – we'll discuss the rest tomorrow morning. But in the meanwhile, I'll be keeping my eye on you."

"O-okay…" Roraku replied hesitantly. "Um, Miss Izumi? Where are they anyways? Itachi and the child, I mean."

Izumi lightened her gaze. "Don't worry about them – they're both doing alright. They have some minor head trauma, but it shouldn't be too serious. My husband has already situated them in the upstairs guestroom. If you'd like to see them, feel free to do so."

"Thank you..." Taking in and then letting out a deep breath, Roraku felt a brief sense of relief settle upon her. She began brushing her fingers through the finer strands of her hair, finally beginning to reach a calm, when suddenly her deep, green eyes flew open wide as she was struck with another shocking realization. Pressing her palms against the wood, Roraku pushed out her own chair and circled about the table, her bare feet padding loudly against the tiled floor. "Wait! Ms. Izumi!"

Izumi had once again picked up her pace, when a hand reached out and gripped her right arm, pulling her back whence she came. Whipping her head around, she saw Roraku shakily holding onto her wrist, looking her dead in the eyes. The girl had certainly mustered up some courage to take her arm so boldly, but unfortunately for her, Izumi's patience was wearing thin. "What now?" Izumi lashed out.

Even though she flinched slightly at the strict tone of Izumi's voice, Roraku kept her grasp on the woman's arm, pursing her lips and loosely wrapping her fingers atop one another. After a few moments, she gathered her thoughts together, finding the right words within herself, and then spoke her mind freely. "… That white light… Do you know what it is? You do, don't you?"

Both thunder and lightning crashed beyond the walls and the windows, chasing out the residual shadows in the room with a bright flash of light. Silhouetted by the fading light of the storm, Izumi's face had become completely ashen and pale. Roraku's gaze towards the woman did not waver as she stared her down with rigid, green eyes, gritting her teeth in a rage.

"Don't take me for a fool either. You only agreed to help us after I first told you what it was that I saw. You know what that light was!"

For the first time in her life, Izumi found herself at a loss for words. She originally thought that this girl had been guided by her courage, and she had somewhat admired that. But now, Izumi could easily see that she was driven even more by her blind curiosity – a curiosity that, in this case, was best to be served by blind ignorance.

"… Yes. I knew what you were talking about the moment you described it to me. Not many people are prone to that knowledge – not unless they've experienced it themselves, which is why I knew you were telling the truth in that aspect. I've seen it, so I know what it is. But if you don't remember, then don't try to find out about it. You'll be much better off. Trust me…"

Roraku could sense the sincerity in Izumi's tone, but was still unsatisfied with such a half-hearted answer. Her grip on Izumi's wrist weakened, her fingers slid, and her heartbeat began to flutter wildly. "Why?"

Ripping away her hand, Izumi brought her arm back down to her side, all the while leering at the girl crossly. "Because…", she began, turning her body towards the door behind her.

"…You'll sleep better at night."

With that said, Izumi solemnly resumed her stride, stepping through the threshold and disappearing into the hallway in front of her. Roraku was then left alone, standing by herself in a cold, empty room. She bent her head down in despair and clasped both her hands against her chest for some form of comfort. What Izumi has said was unnerving to say the very least and Roraku wondered what she was trying so desperately to hide. What was the secret to the white light? And why did Izumi seem so frightened when she first mentioned it?

Her mind was at unrest, befuddled with a frenzy of mysterious questions. Whatever that light truly was, Roraku wouldn't be given the answers that she sought yet. But amidst her other thoughts, she could still determine one answer clearly enough on her own.

_'No… You're wrong, Ms. Izumi… I won't sleep well tonight.'_

As the storm started to settle in the final hours of the night, Roraku trudged up the stairs and onto the second floor landing, quietly recalling everything she and Izumi had shared with each other earlier that evening. Well, that would be if they had actually shared anything of significance between one another at all. Roraku had held back her tongue when she had been asked about her home, whereas Izumi had denied properly answering her own questions about light at every opportunity. Thinking it over, it was easy to see that they were both equally stubborn, which made establishing a decent foundation of trust even more difficult. But as long as she and Itachi could continue to stay under her Izumi's roof for a short while, Roraku would try not to draw too much attention to that ugly situation.

She was continuously distracted by her musings, when Roraku suddenly lost her train of thought and found herself in front of the guest room. The door was slightly agape, allowing a faint shimmer of light from inside to illuminate the hallway. Putting her hands up on the wood of the frame, she slowly let the door sway inward and then strolled into the room.

Inside, there two beds set by the wall. The one next to the door was made with crisp, clean linens neatly pressed against the mattress, while the other by the window looked like it had already been occupied by a small lump resting soundly underneath the sheets. Closely eyeing the body in the other bed, Roraku could quickly tell that it was the little boy they had rescued off of the island. His mangled hair shadowed most of his features and that he had fallen fast asleep with his arms wrapped tightly around his pillow.

Roraku softly smiled to herself, watching over the boy as he gently laced his fingers together, hugging the covers closer to his body like he was in the midst of a wonderful dream. Unfortunately for her, that smile did not last. It soon disappeared when the boy suddenly began to remind her of her little brother, Ryotori, whom she had lost so many years ago. She had long since come to terms with his death, but somehow seeing this child brought all those memories rushing back to her. With a hand clutched to her chest, Roraku never forgot how much she had once cared for her late brother – she had merely kept those thoughts at a distance, deterring the pain that went along with them. Even so, there were some times where she wondered what he would have been like if he had gotten to live the blessings of a full-life beyond his fourteenth birthday. What would he have looked like once he became a man? Would he have followed after their father's footsteps into power? Would he have ever lived to love?

But Roraku would never come to know what could have been. Those days were gone. If only things had turned out a little differently. If only she could have foreseen the final outcome, he might not have succumbed to such a cruel twist of fate. If only…

"Mm… Don't… St-stop it…"

Perking her head up, a low, rasping voice inadvertently caught Roraku's attention. Her eyes slowly drifted off to the other side of the room to find where the voice had come from, as she spotted someone lying on large couch set up along the opposite wall, writhing violently against the sheets in their sleep. Even though she couldn't fully see his face, Roraku instantly knew who it was, looking down towards the raven-black hair that loosely cascaded over his shoulders. It was unmistakable.

_'Itachi-kun!'_

Casting her other thoughts aside, Roraku quickly and quietly approached the couch and knelt down by his side. Now that she was so close to him, she could hear now clearly hear what he had unwittingly been speaking aloud in his slumber, as he sputtered out the words shakily in between labored breaths.

"No… This can't… happen… I-I… I can't…"

Roraku may not have known exactly what was ailing him, what whatever he was dreaming about was obviously vividly frightening enough for him to break out into a cold sweat, which had already drenched through his dry set of clothes. As he twisted and thrashed in the throes of a fitful sleep, Itachi had unwittingly turned his body towards Roraku kneeling beside him. His eyes were still wound tightly shut, when his arm suddenly shot out past the girl next to him, scratching the side of her face.

"**NO! STOP IT!**" Itachi shouted out, as he started to sit up right, swiping his arms in the air at whatever he thought he had witnessed in his dream.

"**Itachi!**" Before he blindly scraped her face again, Roraku grabbed his arm with both hands, holding him back with all her might. "Itachi, it's okay! It's only a nightmare! It can't actually hurt you!"

"…!" Itachi snapped his eyes open wide, and his breathing gradually began to steady. Blinking himself back into reality, he immediately felt something latched onto his outstretched arm. He then glanced to his side to see a young woman who seemed to be about his age, with light, golden-hair that meticulously framed her face. She was staring straight at him through a pair of deep-set green eyes, which then noticeably softened when she freed his arm.

"Well, I'm glad that you're okay now." Roraku uttered, letting out a sigh of relief. "It's nice to finally see a friendly face around here. But with the way were lashing out in your sleep like that, I was honestly starting to get a little worried that you were—"

"Who are you?"

Wide-eyed, Roraku was caught off guard, confused at Itachi for asking such a strange question. "… Eh? Seriously, don't play me like that. I know you hit your head a little hard, but we've known each for so long, I know you would never forget me that easily. You know who I am."

Itachi simply sat there, watching her conspicuously while staying his distance. "What are you talking about? I've never seen you before in my life."

"Alright, if you're trying to be funny or make a joke at my expense, you can just stop it. Come on, Itachi, **it's me**!" She shouted angrily, once again clenching her hand to her chest.

"Itachi?" He asked outright. "Who's that? Is that your name?"

"… That… That's _**your**_ name. What's wrong with you?" Roraku was quickly beginning to panic, but still did her best to stay as calm as she possibly could. Itachi wasn't acting like his normal self, that much was for sure. Thinking back, there may have been something else she overlooked, something small that she had neglected to notice.

"… Maybe you caught a cold outside in the storm…" She whispered to herself, pressing a finger to her lips. With her other hand, Roraku reached out for his forehead to check his temperature and compare it to her own. "If you have a fever then—"

"**DON'T TOUCH ME!**" Itachi screamed, beating her hand away the instant before she touched his face.

"…!" Taken aback by his harsh reaction, Roraku edged away from the side of the couch, afraid of what was happening to him. He still looked like the Itachi she had always known, with his long, dark hair falling perfectly to frame his handsome face. His obsidian eyes were the exact same color they had thought them to be, but now they were now leering down at her, as if she were some sort of wild, deranged beast.

This wasn't the man she remembered. It couldn't be Itachi. There was no way.

"Who the hell are you?"

What in the world was going on? Had he really forgotten everything about himself?

But how?

_Chapter 2 : Foundation of Trust – END_

_Chapter 3 – Coming soon!_

_Written for the love of the world of Full Metal Alchemist_


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